New Trends in Chess
After the shattering standoff in Kunning Palace, a cold equilibrium prevailed between the Emperor and Empress. Xiao Jingche no longer set foot in Kunning Palace, and Lu Qinglan forgoes his usual greetings. The two met from afar at palace banquets and celebrations, their gazes no longer filled with warmth, only scrutiny and wariness. This crack, like the winding ice pattern on porcelain, appears intact, yet in reality, it shatters at the slightest touch.
Subtly shifting the court structure. While Duke Cheng'en Lin Zhaoren remained under house arrest, his students and associates had not been completely purged. Xiao Jingche, wary of further action, temporarily suspended his crackdown on the nobility. However, the emperor's fear of Wei Zheng grew. Following Wei Zheng's "restructuring," the northern border troops became increasingly rigid, impenetrable. Xiao Jingche repeatedly attempted to install trusted generals in the northern border, but Wei Zheng refuted these attempts, either explicitly or implicitly, with excuses such as "unsuitable talent" and "fear of disrupting military morale."
On this day, Xiao Jingche summoned Prime Minister Gu Zhao to the imperial study to discuss matters.
"Prime Minister Gu, the military power of the Northern Frontier has long been concentrated in the hands of Wei Zheng alone. This is not good for the country." Xiao Jingche rubbed his brows and said in a heavy tone, "I want to divide his power and check and balance him. What do you think?"
Gu Zhao lowered his eyes, pondering, his mind understanding the emperor's intention. His beard twitched slightly as he spoke softly, "Your Majesty's concerns are quite true. However, Wei Zheng has guarded the northern border for many years, commanding great respect within the army and earning the deep support of the soldiers. Moreover, he has just established himself and achieved great success. If power is rashly delegated at this moment, it would discourage the soldiers at the border and, if it were to provoke unrest, it would be disastrous."
He paused, looked up at Xiao Jingche, and changed the subject slightly, "I believe that the current priority is not to hastily divide the power of the border commanders, but to stabilize the central government and sort out internal affairs. The old military supply case and the bloody court case are still pending, and the court and the people are paying close attention. If we can take this opportunity to purge the court of corrupt officials and rectify discipline, then Your Majesty's prestige will be established, and adjustments to border affairs will then be a natural outcome."
Gu Zhao's words were a testament to his prudent approach to statecraft. He neither supported the emperor's immediate action against Wei Zheng, lest it trigger unrest at the border, nor did he direct the focus back to the unresolved internal case, implying that this was the root cause of the country's destabilization.
Xiao Jingche remained silent. He knew Gu Zhao was right, but every time he thought of Wei Zheng and Lu Qinglan's ambiguous alliance, he felt a lump in his throat. He waved Gu Zhao away, then sank into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Lu Qinglan remained undeterred by the cold war between the Emperor and Empress. Kunning Palace seemed to have become an independent hub, with orders being silently issued through Fu Yu and countless secret channels.
"Your Majesty, Lord Han is ready. Copies of some key account books regarding Rui Changlong's collusion with the Northern Di and reselling of military supplies, as well as clues involving Zhao Kai's covert manipulation of military supply allocation and drawing salaries without working, have all been compiled into a book, waiting for the right opportunity." Fu Yu reported in a low voice.
Lu Qinglan stood before a huge map of the territory, his gaze fixed on the location of the Beidi royal court. "How are our people arranged in Beidi?"
"Your Majesty, I have followed your instructions and deliberately left a loophole during the transaction to alert the 'Ninth Brother's' envoy that he was being followed. Reports indicate that the envoy is quite panicked and has attempted to relay information to the royal court several times. Our people are currently attempting to intercept his communications in the hope of finding clues leading to the true identity of 'Ninth Brother'."
"Very good." Lu Qinglan traced the winding border on the map with his fingertips. "Tell Han Mingyuan that the grand court meeting in three days will be the opportunity."
"Three days?" Fu Yu was slightly surprised. "Isn't that a bit hasty? Your Majesty has been in a bad mood recently. I'm afraid..."
"It's precisely because he's so restless that this is a good opportunity." Lu Qinglan turned around, a calm glint in his eyes. "The more anxious he is, the harder it will be for him to make calm judgments. Furthermore, Lin Zhaoren is under house arrest, and the nobles are in a state of panic. If we act now, we'll have the least resistance."
What she wanted was not to kill him with one blow, but to exert continuous pressure to make Xiao Jingche exhausted and to make the enemies hiding in the dark lose their composure.
Three days later, there will be a meeting.
The ranks of officials were filled with solemn silence. Xiao Jingche, seated on the dragon throne, wore a grave expression, a barely perceptible trace of weariness.
Just as the court meeting was about to conclude, Han Mingyuan, holding a jade tablet, stepped out steadily, his voice as resounding as a bell: "Your Majesty! I have a memorial to impeach Cavalry Captain Zhao Kai for colluding with illegal imperial merchants like Rui Changlong, embezzling military supplies, reselling military equipment to the Northern Di people, and collaborating with the enemy for treason. The evidence is irrefutable! I also impeach Anping Marquis Liu Mingde for being the mastermind behind the imperial merchant Rui Changlong, condoning and shielding them, reaping huge profits, and enriching the enemy and himself! These two are the scourge of the state. We cannot rectify the government unless we eliminate them, and we cannot reassure the army unless we kill them!"
Before he had finished speaking, he had already pulled a thick memorial from his sleeve and raised it above his head with both hands. The eunuch took it and quickly presented it to the emperor.
The whole court was in uproar!
Although there had been rumors before, Han Mingyuan's testimony in court, pointing directly to the unforgivable crime of "collaborating with the enemy and treason", and impeaching Zhao Kai and the royal merchant boss together, showed his strength and determination far beyond everyone's imagination!
Zhao Kai's face turned pale instantly. He suddenly stepped out of the line, knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty! Han Mingyuan is slandering me! I am innocent!"
Anping Hou Liu Mingde's fat body was shaking all over, and he almost collapsed to the ground, shouting incoherently "wrong" and "frame-up".
Xiao Jingche quickly flipped through the memorial submitted by Han Mingyuan. It listed the time, place, people, financial transactions, cargo lists, and even some transcripts of secret letters. Although not all originals, it formed a clear and terrifying chain of evidence! His face turned increasingly pale, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the memorial bulged.
He raised his eyes, his gaze piercing Han Mingyuan like a sharp sword: "Han Qing, where is the evidence for such a serious crime?!"
"Your Majesty!" Han Mingyuan said fearlessly, his head held high. "I have properly kept all physical evidence and original account books. I have also secretly relocated some key witnesses to prevent them from being silenced. Your Majesty may send personnel to inspect them at any time! I am willing to guarantee with my own head that every word in the memorial is true!"
He had tricked the emperor! He was forcing Xiao Jingche to deal with this matter immediately and seriously!
Xiao Jingche's chest heaved violently. He looked at Gu Zhao, who lowered his eyes and remained silent. He looked at the other important officials, all of whom had flickering eyes; no one dared to express their opinions easily at this moment. His heart was cold. It was obvious who was standing behind Han Mingyuan. Lu Qinglan was using Han Mingyuan to force him into a corner. He could either severely punish Zhao Kai and the Marquis of Anping, completely offending the nobles and some military forces; or he could shield and condone them, bearing the stigma of a tyrant and losing the support of the people!
What a cruel plan!
"This case..." Xiao Jingche practically gritted his teeth as he spoke, "It's of great importance. I order... the three courts and the Imperial City Court to jointly investigate the case! All prisoners will be imprisoned immediately! No one is allowed to visit without my written order!"
He finally chose to take on this hot potato, but he also dragged the Imperial City Division into the trial in order to strengthen control and prevent the case from being completely dominated by Lu Qinglan's side.
"Your Majesty, I obey!" Han Mingyuan bowed and accepted the order, returning to the train. From beginning to end, his expression remained calm, as if he had just completed an ordinary official task.
Zhao Kai and Anping Hou looked ashen as death and were dragged away by the ferocious guards.
The bell rang, signaling the end of court, and the officials dispersed, their thoughts mixed. Everyone knew this wasn't the end, but the beginning of a greater storm. Han Mingyuan's earth-shattering attack completely shattered the court's brief calm, pushing the power struggle between the emperor and empress into a ferocious, life-or-death struggle.
The chessboard was in turmoil again. The player holding the chess piece had already made a ruthless move.
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